Fluid-clutch.



No. 719,746. PATENTED FEB. 3, 1903.

B. B. CHANDLER, JR.

FLUID CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED 11116.28, 1902.

no MODEL. 3 SHEETSSHET 1.

PATENTED FEB. 3, 1903: B. B. CHANDLER, JR. FLUID CLUTCH APPLICATIONFILED AUG. 23, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

awuemto'o fi Claw/107161;

lllllll|\ No. 719,746. PATBNTED FEB. 3, 1903.

B. B. CHANDLER, JR. I

FLUID CLUTCH.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 2a, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A 2:72 W2 f X y N0 MODEL.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BARTLETT B. CHANDLER, JR, OF NEVADA CITY, CALIFORNIA.

FLUID-CLUTCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 1\l'o. 719,746, datedFebruary 3, 1903.

Application filed August 28, 1902. Serial No. 121,360. (No model.)

To alt whom it may concern: I

Be it known that 1, BARTLETT B. CHANDLER, Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Nevada City, in the county of Nevada and State ofCalifornia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements inFluid-Clutches; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in clutches ofthat type in which a fluid is used to cause the motion of one clutchmember to be graduallyimparted to the other clutch member.

The object of the invention is to providea device of this character bymeans of which the motion of a rapidly-rotating pulley, drum, gear, orbody may be imparted gradually and at the will of the operator to ashaft, or vice versa, from a rapidly-rotating shaft to apulley,drum,gear,or any form of rotating device.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which is simple of construction, durable in use, and extremelypowerful and efficient in operation.

WVith the above and other objects in View, which will readily appear asthe nature of the invention is better understood, said inventionconsists in certain novel features of construction and combination andarrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure1 is a front elevation of a pulley, showing my invention appliedthereto, the

rim of the pulley being partly broken away to more clearly illustratethe fluid-cylinder, which forms the hub of the pulley. Fig. 2 is an endelevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section throughthe cylinder, showing the same locked to turn with the shaft. Fig. 4 isa similarsectional view showing the position of the parts when the shaftis free to rotate within the cylinder or pulley. Fig. 5 is across-sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3, showing thecylinder locked to turn with theshaft. Fig. 6 is a similar sectionalview taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3, showing the position of the partswhen the shaft is free to rotate in the cylinder or hub of the pulley.

.by the guide'pins 11.

Referringtothe figures of the drawings, 1 designates the device, whichin the present instance is a pulley or band-wheel, but which may be agear, disk, drum, or any similar device to impart motion, and 2 theshaft to which the motion of said pulley is adapted to be impartedthrough the clutch mechanism which forms my invention. The same consistsin casting the hub of said pulley or other device 7 in the form of acylinder 3, the ends of which are closed by the heads or covers 4,through which the shaft 2 extends. Upon said shaft, within the cylinder,is an eccentric head 5, secured thereto against rotation by thesetscrews 6 and provided with a keyway 7, which registers with a deeplongitudinal keyway 8,

formed in the shaft 2, to receive the sliding ,or operating key 9,hereinafter described.

The said eccentric head 5 has formed in its periphery, at diametricallyopposite sides, the guide openings or apertures 10, in which theguide-pins 11, secured to the inner periphery of a shifting ring 12, areadapted to slide. The shifting ring 12 has a bore of larger diameterthan the eccentric head 5, which it surrounds and is supported upon thesame The said shifting ring is also provided with a pin 11, of greaterlength than the pins 11, which has a roller 13 journaled upon its end,which is adapted to be moved in and out of the keyways 7 and 8 by thebeveled end 9 of said operating-key 9 to change the position of theshifting ring 12 upon the eccentric head 5. A coil-spring 14 is seatedin an aperture or bore 15in the eccentric head 5, and the registeringaperture or bore 16 in the ring 12,withits ends bearing against theshaft 2, and an annular three-part abutment-carrying ring 17 surroundingthe ring 12 and exerting its energy to hold the ring 12 centered uponthe shaft 2, which is the normal position of said ring when the shaftisfree to turn Within the cylinder, as illustrated in Fig. 6. The saidthreepart abntment-carrying ring 17 consists of a central ring 18 andtwo outer rings 19 19 of less width than the central ring. To thecentral ring 18 is secured by the screws 20 the circular cross-rod 21 ofgreater length than the width of the cylinder and having a portion cutaway to allow it to bear firmly upon the surface of the ring 17. Thesaid rod carries the abutment or wing 23, which is of greater lengththan the width of the cylinder,

and the ends of the same extend into and slide in guide-slots 24, formedin the heads or covers of the cylinder. Secured to the two outer rings19 and 19 by the screws 25 isa circular cross-rod 26, similar to the rod21, which carries the other abutment or wing 27, the ends of which slidein slots 28, formed in the cylinder-heads. The said abutments 23 and 27are adapted to slide in the abutment-chambers 29, formed in enlargedportions 30 of the cylinder and separate the cylinder-space into twochambers or compartments which are in communication through the passages31, formed in said enlargements of the cylinder and extending around theabutments. The turning plug-valves 32, located in the said enlargements,are adapted to close these passages to cut off this communicationbetween the two chambers of the cylinder at the proper time. The valves32 are formed with stems 33, extending through one of the heads of thecylinder, with the crank arms 34 secured thereto. Pivoted to the ends ofthese arms are links 35, which have their opposite ends pivoted to aloose ring 36, mounted to turn upon the collar 37, which is slidablymounted upon the shaft 2, but keyed to turn therewith. The said collaris secured between the lugs or projections 38 upon the slidingoperating-key 9 and is provided with a second loose ring 40', mounted torotate upon said collar and having two pins 39 at diametricallyopposit-e points,whi ch enter elongated apertures in an operating-lever40, suitably pivoted at 41 to any stationary support and having in itsopposite end elongated apertures to engage pins upon a loose ringmounted to revolve upon a hand-wheel 42, which has a screw-threadedengagement with a stationary rod 43.

In order to insure a fluid-tight connection between the'cylinder 3 andthe shaft 2, Iform the opening in the heads through which the shaftextends with screw-threaded flanges,between which and the packing-caps44 I confine any desired packing material.

The operation of the invention is as follows: When the parts areproperly assembled, the cylinder-space is filled with water, oil, or anydesired fluid and made fluid-tight. The pulley and cylinder are free toturn upon the shaft when the parts are in the position illustrated inFigs. 4 and 6 and the operating-lever 40 is in the dotted-line positionseen in Fig. 1. It will be noticed that in this position the shiftingring 12, which is locked by the pins 11 to turn with the shaft, ispractically concentric with the shaft and also with the cylinder whichturns concentrically upon the shaft, so that the cylinder-space is aboutthe same width all around, the sliding key 9 is withdrawn from thecylinder, and the plugvalves 32 are in their open position to permit ofa free circulation of the fluid from one chamber of the cylinder to theother through the passages 31. Since the three-part ring 17, carryingthe abutments 23 and 27, turns freely upon the shifting ring 12 and withthe cylinder 3, when said cylinder or pulley is rapidly rotated thecylinder will turn upon.

the shaft 2 and the ring 17 will turn upon the ring 12, which isconcentric, or practically so, with the cylinder, and hence theabutments and ring 17 will have but slight movement with respect to thecylinder, and there will be little or no flow of the fluid from onechamber to the other; but as soon as the operatingkey 9 is forced intothe cylinder by the sliding collar 37 being forced inwardly by the lever40, which is swung to the full-line position seen in Fig.1 by runningthe band-wheel 42 upon the screw-rod 43, the beveled end 9 of the saidkey 9 will engage the roller 13 upon the end of the pin 11, which iscarried by the ring 12, and the said ring 12 will be gradually forcedout toward the inner periphery of the cylinder, or to a positioneccentric to the cylinder and shaft, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5.tVhen the ring 12 is moved to an eccentric position, the cylinder-spaceupon each side of the abutment 27 will be narrowed and the passage ofthe fluid from one side to the other retarded, and at the same time thecollar 37 is moved inwardly the links 35, pivoted to the loose ring uponsaid collar, will be forced to a more nearly vertical position, as shownby 'the full lines in Fig. 1, to swing the crank-arms 34 and graduallyclose the plug-valves 32, which cut off the flow of the fluid throughthe passages 31 around the abutments. It will thus be seen that when theoperating-lever 40 is operated gradually the ring 12 will be forced toan eccentric position with respect to the shaft which carries it bymeans of the guide pins 11 and to the cylinder, while at the same timethe plug-valves 32 will be gradually closed to cut off the flow of fluidfrom one side of the cylinder to the other. As the ring 12 is graduallymoved to an eccentric position in the cylinder, which is in rapidrotation, the ring 17 and the abutments 23 and 27, which turn with thecylinder, will be forced to move back and forth in the abutment-chambersof the cylinder, owing to said eccentric position of the ring 12, uponwhich the ring 17 slides. This shifting movement of the ring 17 andabutments with respect to the cylinder will cause a circulation of thefluid from one side of the cylinder-space to the other through thepassages 31. The contin ued eccentric movement of the ring 12 narrowsthe cylinder-space upon each side of the abutment 27, and at the sametime the plug- Hence the valves 32 are gradually closing. flow orcirculation of fluid around the abutments is retarded, and a pressureupon the eccentric ring 12 is thus produced. This pressure behind thering 12 increases as the same is moved to a greater degree ofeccentricity, or, in other Words, as the circulation of the fluid ismore and more retarded, until said pressure overcomes the resistance ofthe shaft to which the ring 12 is locked, when said shaft will graduallytake up the motion of the cylinder or pulley. The continued shifting ofthe eccentric ring 12 and the complete closing of the valves 32,-whichoccurs immediately after the ring 12 has reached the limit of itseccentric movement, will entirely out off the flow of fluid, and hencethe fluid will act as a lock to cause the cylinder and shaft to rotatetogether.

It will be observed that by this construction the operator has completecontrol and can impart the motion of the pulley, gear, or other deviceto the shaft or from the shaft to any device to receive motion asgradually as is desired, and it will be further observed that by rigidlysecuring one of the movable members I may use the device as a brake togradually retard the motion of the other part or member. I further wishit distinctly understood that I do not limit myself to the deviceillustrated in the drawings, as they simply show one embodiment of myinvention, and the same may be adapted to and used upon various kinds ofmachines and for various purposes. I also hold that various changes inthe form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may beresorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A device for imparting the motion of adriven body to a body to be driven, comprising a fluid-containing casinghaving abutment-chambers and passages around said abutment-chambers, ashaft, a shiftable ring upon said shaft, abutments controlled by saidring and operating in said abutment-chambers in the casing, to separatethe same into compartments or chambers, means for shifting saidshiftable ring to an eccentric position upon said shaft and therebyrestrict and check the flow of fluid from one compartment of the casingto another to cause the casing and shaft to move in unison by reason ofthe pressure of the fluid upon the eccentric ring carried by the shaft,substantially as described.

2. A device for imparting the motion of a driven body to a body to bedriven, comprising a casing having abutment-chambers and passages aroundsaid abutment-chambers, valves located in said passages, a shaft, ashiftable ring upon said shaft, abutments controlled by said ring andoperating in said abutment-chambers in the casing to separate the sameinto compartments or chambers, means for shifting said shiftable ring toan eccentric position upon said shaft, means for operating the valves insaid passages to cut off the flow of fluid from one compartment of thecasing to another and thereby cause the easing and shaft to move inunison by reason of the pressure of the fluid upon the eccentric ringcarried by said shaft, substantially as described.

3. A device for imparting the motion of a driven body to a body to bedriven, comprising a casing having abutment-chambers, and passagesaround said abutment-chambers, valves located in said passages, a shaft,a shiftable ring upon said shaft, abutments controlled by said ring andoperating in said abutment-chambers in the casing to separate the same,into compartments or chambers, means for simultaneously shifting saidshiftable ring to an eccentric position upon said shaft, and operatingthe valves in said passages to cut off the flow of fluid from onecompartment of the casing to another and thereby cause the casing andshaft to move in unison by reason of the pressure of the fluid upon theeccentric ring carried by said shaft, substantiallyas described.

4. A device for imparting the motion. of a driven body to a body to bedriven, comprising a fluid containing casing formed with abut ment-chambers andwith passages around said abutment-chambers, valveslocated in said passages, a shaft, a shiftable ring carried by saidshaft, an abutment-carrying ring upon said shiftable ring, abutmentscarried by said abutment-carrying ring and operating in saidabutment-chambers in the casing to separate the same into compartmentsor chambers, means for simultaneously shifting said shiftable ring to aneccentric position upon the shaft, and operating the valves in saidpassages to cut 0% the flow from one compartment of the casing toanother, and thereby cause the casing and shaft to move in unison byreason of the pressure of the fluid upon the eccentric ring carried bythe shaft, substantially as described.

5. A device for imparting the motion of a driven body to a body to bedriven,comprising a fluid-containing casing formed withabutment-chambers and with passages around said abutment-chambers,valves located in said passages, a shaft, a head carried by said shaft,a shiftable ring carried by said shaft and head, an abutment-carryingring upon said shiftable ring, abutments carried by saidabutment-carrying ring and operating in said abutment-chambers in thecasing to separate the same into compartments or chambers, means forshifting said shiftable ring to an eccentric position upon the shaft andthereby gradually restrict the flow of the fluid from one compartment ofthe casing to another through said passages around the abutments, andmeans for operating the valves in said passages to entirely out 0d theflow of the fluid and thereby cause the shaft to move in unison with thecasing by reason of the pressure of the fluid upon the eccentric ringcarried by the shaft, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a fluid-containingcasing formed with abutment chambers around said abutment-chambers,valves 10- cated in said passages, a shaft, a head upon said shaftformed with guide-openings,a shiftable ring provided with guide-pinsadapted to operate in said guide-openings, an abutmentcarrying ring uponsaid shiftable ring, abutments carried by said abutment-carrying ringand operating in said abutment-chambers in the casing to separate thesame into compartments or chambers,a sliding key adapted to engage saidguide-pi ms to shift said shiftable ring to an eccentric p0sition,aspring adapted to return said ring to a concentric position on saidshaft, and means for operating the valves in said passages to cut offthe flow of fluid from one compartment of the casing to another andtherebycause the casing and shaft to move in unison, substantially asdescribed.

7. A device of the character described,comprising a fluid-containingcasing formed with abutment chambers and with passages around saidabutment chambers, turning valves located in said passages, a shaftformed with a longitudinal keyway, a head upon said shaft formed withguide-openings, and a key- Way registering With said keyWay in shaft, a

and with passages shiftable ring provided with guide-pins adapted tooperate in said guide-openings and with a pin adapted to project intosaid registering keyway, an abutment-carrying ring upon said shiftablering, abutments carried by said abutment-carrying ring and operating insaid abutment-chamber in the casing to separate the same intocompartments or chambers, asliding key in said registering keywayprovided with a beveled end adapted to engage said pin projecting intosaid keyways to move said shiftable ring to an eccentric position, aspring adapted to restore said shiftable ring to a concentric positionupon said shaft, a sliding collar upon said shaft and adapted to engagesaid key to operate same, means connecting said collar and said turningvalves, for operating said valves upon the movement ofsaid collar,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

BARTLETT B. CHANDLER, JR.

Witnesses:

J ULIUS M. WALLING, JOHN WERRY.

